Posted: 3rd October 2024
Section 21 evictions labelled responsible for increase in homelessness
Campaigners have attributed the rise in homelessness to landlords and letting agents utilizing Section 21 evictions to remove tenants from their properties.
Recent quarterly official statistics for the last three months of 2023 indicate that the number of Section 21 notices issued as a cause for homelessness reached unprecedented levels throughout the year.
A record 25,910 individuals who received a Section 21 eviction notice from their landlord sought assistance from their local authority last year, with the final quarter of 2023 showing an 11% increase in these cases.
The Renters Reform Coalition argues that these statistics demonstrate the urgent need to abolish Section 21 evictions immediately, rather than waiting for improvements to the court system, a commitment the Labour Party has made if it secures victory in the upcoming election.
Tom Darling, Campaign Manager at the Renters Reform Coalition, stated: “It is shocking that homelessness statistics in England continue to break new records every few months."
“Each week, more families are facing eviction, placing increasing strain on the budgets of councils that are struggling to provide adequate support for the rising costs associated with homelessness.”
The London Renters Union has taken a stronger stance, asserting: “Whether homeless or not, landlords are taking advantage of our fundamental right to housing. We must unite to reclaim their wealth and power.”
Darling emphasizes that to reverse the alarming trend of individuals losing their homes, the Renters (Reform) Bill must incorporate measures to ban Section 21 evictions as soon as possible, criticizing pro-landlord MPs for recent amendments that will postpone the ban until the efficiency of the courts improves.
Read What Our
Customers Say
